The best wedding venues in Belfast (Northern Ireland) for wedding videography
A Guide to the best wedding venues in Belfast for wedding videography
I’ve written about the top 5 wedding venues in Northern Ireland, but Belfast offers great places to get married compared to most other cities!
Not only are there lots of beautiful churches and other venues, but the city itself is so picturesque and full of craic.
As if that wasn't enough, Belfast also has a thriving nightlife that can make a fantastic backdrop for some late evening photographs or videography, and gets everyone in the mood for a party.
If you're looking for a place to have your wedding that is both beautiful and full of life, Belfast should definitely be at the top of your list.
To help you out, I've put together a list of some of my favourite wedding venues in Belfast for wedding videography.
My top 5 venues for videography in Belfast
1. Ten Square Hotel
Ten Square hotel is a great place to get married!
Not only does it have a warm, comfortable setting that can be dressed exactly how you want your wedding to look, but it also has great areas to take videos and do wedding videography, including the balcony on the top floor that gives a great view across the rooftops of central Belfast.
I like to take couples out of the hotel where the wonderful columns of City Hall are close by and all the other iconic buildings in central Belfast that make great backdrops for your wedding video.
Personally, I love to shoot couples walking away from City Hall along Linenhall Street so I can capture them in front of the grand architecture of this old building.
2. Merchant Hotel (Belfast)
The Merchant Hotel offers absolute luxury for your wedding day. It's a stunning venue, and the staff go above and beyond to make sure your day is perfect.
The Merchant Hotel is also a great place for videography, as it has lots of nooks and crannies that make for great shots, including a beautiful staircase that is perfect for shooting couples coming down after they've been announced as husband and wife.
If you're getting ready at the hotel, the rooms are spectacular and ideal for high-quality wedding videography.
Honestly, the Merchant Hotel is the dream location for most wedding videographers, as every room is special.
The lobbies and bars have high vaulted ceilings, famous chandeliers and a range of sumptuous furnishings that make them ideal locations to film in, and the outdoor areas are perfect for getting some lovely shots of the happy couple with Belfast city centre as a backdrop.
Whenever I get the chance to shoot a video here, I jump at it! It also helps that they serve some of the best cocktails in the city!
3. Culloden Estate and Spa
A little further out, towards the edge of Belfast, on Bangor Road, we have the Culloden Estate and Spa.
This is a grand venue set in 12 acres of stunning gardens, making it perfect for videographers who love to shoot outside as well as inside.
The hotel overlooks the sweep of Belfast Lough and has a range of beautiful features, from a grand staircase to an outdoor amphitheatre.
If the weather is great, then an outdoor ceremony should definitely be on the cards. Not only does the Culloden offer great garden space for a beautiful outdoor wedding, but it gives me the space to move around and capture different angles that aren’t available in a traditional indoor wedding ceremony.
It's luxury through and through!
There are also plenty of places for me to get creative with your videography inside the Culloden, including the Library Bar, which is full of rich dark woods and leather armchairs, and the Orangery Restaurant, which has an incredible glass atrium.
There are so many great places to get video at the Culloden – from the steps leading up to the main entrance, which is ideal for shots of the bride arriving, to the beautifully manicured gardens, which are perfect for couple shots and group shots.
I've captured some of my favourite wedding videos here, and I love coming back to this venue time and time again for its character and opulence.
Don’t forget to check out their resident recommended photographer Mark Barnes www.markbarnesphotography.co.uk
4. Titanic Belfast (Hotel)
If you want a truly unique wedding venue, then Titanic Belfast is the place for you. You can’t get more ‘Belfast’ than the home of the Titanic!
Situated in the heart of the Titanic Quarter, this incredible building is where the ill-fated ship was built, and it makes for a stunning backdrop for your wedding video.
There is a range of different spaces available for hire at Titanic Belfast, including the grand Atrium, which is perfect for getting group shots, and the stunning Titanic Suite, which has floor-to-ceiling windows with views out over the harbour.
There's also an outdoor area that's perfect for summer weddings, and the grounds of Titanic Belfast make for great locations for couple shots.
I've shot a number of wedding videos at Titanic Belfast, and it's always a pleasure to come back to this unique venue.
5. Belfast Castle
Of course, no list of top wedding venues in Belfast would be complete without Belfast Castle!
Situated in the stunning Cave Hill Country Park, Belfast Castle offers fantastic views over the city, making it a perfect place to get some beautiful shots of the happy couple with Belfast in the background.
There are a number of different spaces available for hire at Belfast Castle, from the grand Ballroom to the more intimate Drawing Room. There's also an outdoor terrace perfect for getting lovely shots of the bride and groom with the cityscape behind them.
The castle itself makes a stunning backdrop, and I love shooting in the gardens during the evening when the lights inside the castle illuminate the windows, or we can turn around and have the glistening lights of the city as a great background to your celebrations.
Overall, I think Belfast Castle is a fantastic venue for wedding videography, and I'm always thrilled to be able to capture a couple's big day here.
Belfast Castle lends itself really well to holding just your reception. I’ve filmed a number of couples’ destination weddings who choose to have a big get-together at Belfast Castle when they’re back home.
There you have it – my top five picks of the best wedding venues in Belfast for wedding videography.
If you're getting married in Belfast and are looking for a videographer, then I hope this has given you some inspiration.
But I'm not quite done there...
Bonus: La Mon Hotel, just outside Belfast
I promised 5 top Belfast locations for wedding videography, but honestly, I love the La Mon Hotel and Country Club, so I have to mention it as a bonus.
It's a beautiful venue set in stunning grounds and just a short drive from Belfast city centre.
There are a number of different function rooms available for hire at the La Mon, perfect for weddings of all sizes, and the team there are absolutely amazing to work with.
The hotel has 120 bedrooms, so it is able to cater to the largest of weddings; just be sure to book the rooms well in advance, as they do get booked up fast!
The La Mon is a great all-rounder when it comes to wedding venues, and I've shot some truly stunning weddings here.
I would highly recommend it as a top pick for anyone getting married in Belfast.
There you have it – my top five (plus one bonus) picks of the best wedding venues in Belfast for wedding videography.
Great videography locations in Belfast
You thought I was done? Oh no, not yet. Belfast has so much to offer, so how could it all be summed up in one short list of venues?
Weddings are a whole day affair, and that often means picking locations off-site for fun shots, whether that's a quiet drink at the Duke of York to calm pre-wedding nerves or a stroll around Botanic Gardens for some couple shots in the early afternoon once the knot has been tied.
With that in mind, let me indulge in a short list of a few of my favourite locations for that extra wedding videography spice around the city.
The Duke of York
The Duke of York is a historic Belfast pub that dates back to 1885, and it's one of my favourite places to grab a quick pint of Guinness (or three), and it's a great place to grab a shot of the Groomsmen laughing and having a final pint before the knot is tied.
It's located in the Linen Quarter of the Belfast, and it's the perfect place for a pre-wedding pint or two.
The pub has a really old-school feel to it, while outside the pub, there is the atmospheric Commercial Court, with its famous neon umbrellas and cobbled streets.
It's a stunning place that will satisfy any wedding videographer.
2. Belfast Botanic Gardens
The Belfast Botanic Gardens are located just a short walk from the city centre (or short drive for brides and grooms), and they're a fantastic place for a stroll on a sunny day.
They're also a great place for a few scenes on a wedding day, as there are plenty of gorgeous flowers and plants to provide a natural backdrop. The Tropical Ravine is particularly stunning, and it's a great place to get some shots of the bride and groom surrounded by nature.
3. Saint Anne's Cathedral
Saint Anne's Cathedral is a beautiful Gothic cathedral located in the city centre, and it's a great place for a few shots on a wedding day. The exterior of the cathedral is stunning, with its neo-gothic architecture, and the interior is just as impressive, with its high vaulted ceilings and stained glass windows. It's the perfect place for a few shots of the bride and groom and capturing the day's atmosphere.
4. Belfast City Hall
Belfast City Hall is located in the heart of the city centre. As I've mentioned above, it's a great place for a few shots on a wedding day, as the exterior is absolutely stunning, and the interior is just as impressive. It's also a great place to capture the atmosphere of the day, as weddings often occur on the grounds of the city hall.
So there we have it.
I'm finally done, for now.
Belfast has so much to offer when it comes to wedding venues, and I hope I've given you a bit of inspiration if you're getting married in the city.
I could go on forever about all the great places Belfast has to offer, but I'll leave that for another time.
Want to know more about commissioning me for your wedding videography? I cover Northern Ireland, Ireland, the UK and destination weddings. For more information just get in touch.
Thanks for reading!
Adam White
Wedding Cinematographer
